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Osteria La Madia Brunch

December 8, 2015

Osteria La Madia in River North recently launched a new brunch menu, as well as a brunch prix fixe option. The inspired Italian spot is known for chef and owner Jonathan Fox's wood oven pizzas, and their brunch menu definitely highlights those items. However, the menu has so much more, including several options that aren't your standard omelets and benedicts. The brunch menu, served on Sundays from 10:30am to 2:30pm, features antipasti, entrees, small plates, and breakfast and signature pizzas. The menu combines breakfast and lunch items which is great depending on your mood.

Brunch cocktails are plentiful, from negronis and Italian pisco sours to large format, mix-your-own mimosas and bellinis. Osteria La Madia recently added a $22 prix fixe option, which includes the choice of any antipasti, any brunch entree or wood-fired pizza, and a flute of prosecco or bellini.

When I stopped in for brunch, we tried the bellini and margherita bloody Mary made with a house blend of Italian herbs and balsamic, and garnished with grape tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil.

Margherita Bloody Mary & Bellini

As a welcoming treat, all guests receive a complimentary basket of mini-donuts from sister restaurant, Firecakes. They are perfect for dunking in their La Colombe coffee and definitely beat your standard bread basket!

Firecakes Mini Donuts

We decided to go the a la carte route, ordering a little bit of everything from across the menu. First up was the compressed quince salad with shaved almonds, shaved radish, kale, currants, and housemade farm cheese. It was a refreshing start to the meal and we absolutely loved the wine-soaked quince, which is kind of a cross between an apple and a pear. Our only disappointment was the kale which was so chewy and difficult to break down. A little kale massaging goes a long way.

Compressed Quince Salad

Next, was probably the heartiest of dishes, the fried egg bruschetta with grilled ciabatta, garlic spinach, aioli, bacon, sausage, and fontina. Why have just bacon when you can have bacon and sausage? This is definitely a hangover helper; the rich meat and cheese combined with the aioli-soaked ciabatta will definitely cure what ails ya.

Fried Egg Bruschetta

Lastly, it was time for some signature pizza. We opted for a breakfast variety with egg and prosciutto di Parma. Egg and prosciutto are a match made in heaven. This white pizza was also topped with parsley, caciocavallo, and cracked black pepper. The dough was soft, yet crispy, and the prosciutto was plentiful.

Egg and Prosciutto di Parma Pizza

With so many brunch options in the city, it's refreshing to have a new option that strays from the standard egg fare. There are so many options for those looking for a lighter or heavier brunch, and either breakfast or lunch food. Besides, any restaurant experience that starts with a complimentary basket of donuts is OK in my book!

Note: my meal at Osteria La Madia was complimentary; however, all opinions expressed are my own.